Packing machines are frequently used in the packing of food products and must satisfy accordingly high hygiene requirements. In particular, machines of this type are regularly cleaned and disinfected in order reliably to prevent contamination of the packed items to be packed by residues or germs from the packing machine.
A basic element of the packing machine is a deep drawing or shell molding machine by means of which containers, which are subsequently filled with the packed items to be packed and sealed, are molded for example from film webs and a corresponding mold. Machines or devices of this type can consist of a plurality of parts: for example an upper and a lower shaping tool between which the film, which is generally drawn off from a roll, is drawn through in the transport direction and molded therewith to form a shell-shaped receptacle for the packed item to be packed, preferably in the clamping position.
For carrying out a deep drawing or shaping process of this type, the deep drawing or shaping device can encompass further elements, such as for example one or more heat sources, in order appropriately to preheat for the shaping process the film to be deep drawn, a lower and an upper matrix shaping the shell-shaped container to be molded, fluid line connections for applying reduced pressure and/or excess pressure to the shaping device, for example to bring the film as effectively as possible into abutment with a matrix, in particular in the corner regions, and optionally also one or more connections for applying the fluid, which is adapted to the packed item to be packed, to the molded container in order positively to influence the durability thereof and/or the visual appearance thereof when packed. If appropriate, the matrices can also be configured as insert elements which can be connected to corresponding sockets in order to be able to mold a plurality of differently molded packing containers, for example using a set consisting of an upper and a lower part of the deep drawing machine, by simple exchange of insert elements of this type.
Overall, a deep drawing or shaping device of this type has in the conventional manner a large number of edges, depressions, holes and the like in which impurities and in particular also residues from the packed item to be packed can become deposited.
Furthermore, a packing machine of this type can also encompass a sealing station or sealing device by means of which the packings filled with packed items can be sealed. For this purpose, the filled containers are conventionally covered with what is known as a cover film and connected to the packing securely and in an air-tight manner in the edge surrounding the packing troughs. Depending on the embodiment, this can be carried out in a manner which produces either a one-off fixed seal or else a seal which can be opened and resealed repeatedly. If appropriate, the packing can subsequently be isolated from a packing composite in a cutting station.
The sealing and cutting stations of this type also have to be cleaned again and again to avoid any contamination.